Package and packaging material therefor



APril 1949- D. B. ANDREWS 2,467,875

PACKAGE AND PACKAGING MATERIAL THEREFOR Filed Jan. 7, 1947 In van to?" Patented Apr. 19, 1949 David B. Andrews, Neenah, Wia, assignor to Marathon Corporation notation of Wisconsin Rothschild, Win, a cor- Application January 7.1947, serial No. 720,643 6 Claims. (01. 99-178) This invention relates to a packaging material or wrapper provided with a tearing element to facilitate opening a package. More particularly, this invention relates to a wrapper wherein the tear tape is a functional part of the wrapper.

Heretofore, it'has been a common practice to provide packages with means for tearing them open such as tape, thread, string orwire which are intended to facilitate tearing or cutting of the wrapper in order to make the contents of the package accessible. The prior art means to open packages constitute elements which are functionally and visually distinct and separate from the wrapper itself. That is to say, the package shearing or tearing element constitutes an additional thickness at the zone of said element which gives rise to various objections. For high-speed production in article packaging it is desirable that the wrapping material be stocked on 'a roll. While the tearing element is in itself of small thickness, this thickness results in considerable build-up when the material is wound on a roll. When the packaging material is coated with any of the common types of moisture-proofing compositions, blocking has resulted.

In the prior art constructions the lack of uniform thickness of the packaging material, due to the bulge at the zone of the tearing element, has provided an objectionable area in the finished package. In packaging foodstuffs, such as cheese, it is desirable that the packaging material contact the contents throughout its entire surface. The air space resulting from the thickness of the tearing element between contents and wrapper provides a zone conducive to mold growth.

According to the present invention, the disadvantages apparent in the prior art tear tape materials and packages are overcome by integrating the tear tape into the packaging material as a functional part thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the packaging material with a tear tape incorporated therein;

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is a perspective view'of a package, such as cheese, wherein the contents are wrapped with the packaging material of the present invntion; and

, 2 Figure v4 is a perspective view similar to Figure 3 showing the manner in which the contents ing composition for this purpose is a heat-seal-.

able. moisture-proofing, wax-containing compound of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,054, 113 or Patent No. 2,348,687. Coating 3 is applied in an amount to cover the tear tape 2 as well as the sheet I. The coating is of a thickness at least equal to and preferably exceeding the thickness of the tear tape. Thus the'packaging material possesses an unbroken coated surface andis of uniform thickness throughout." The tear tape 2 is embedded in the, coating 3 and' does not present a raised area. If a base sheet 0.001" thick and a tape 0.001" thick are used,

a coating of 0.002" thickness may be applied. By virtue of this construction" the packaging material A can be taken from a roll without'having suffered the ill effects due to blocking, aresult which would be obtained if the thickness of tape were not compensated for by the coating thickness. I

The tear tape 2 is disposed to extend beyond the edge of the base sheet in the form of a grasping tab 4. This tab which can be formed by die cutting the wrapper A preparatory .to its use, facilitates tearing of the base sheet. The grasping tab may also be formed by notching the base sheet edge adjacent the tearing element.

As shown in Figure 3 wrapper A is disposed with the coated surface 3 thereof adjacent to the contents; The seams of the wrapper may be heat-sealed by means of the coating. Where the contents are asolid or semi-solid substance such as cheese thewrapper will thus hug the article throughout. The tearing element encircles the article and due to my construction continuous contact is obtained between the contents and the coating of the wrapper, notwithstanding, the presence of the tearing element. The uniform thickness of the wrapper inhibits the growth vof mold. Normally, the'air-space caused by the added thickness of the tearing element will promote mold-growth at this zone.

Figure 4 illustrates how the contents are exposed. Tab 4 is grasped by the hand, and by pulling thereon the base sheet is sheared along the lines defined by the edges of the tearing element.

While the specific embodiment described above refers to a base sheet and tearing element of the regenerated cellulose, it is of course understood that other suitable materials may be used as long as the tearing element is of a materialhaving the strength or construction which will shear the base sheet material. The base sheet material may also be of paper, glassine, or one of the hydrohalogenated rubber, synthetic rubberor synthetic resin films, cellulose acetate, polyethylene, ethylcellulose, metal foil and the like. The tearing element may be of paper, glassine, hydrohalogenated rubber, synthetic resin, synthetic rubber films, twisted synthetic or natural fibrous material, or any material of suflicient strength with respect to the base sheet material to serve as means to tear the base sheet when a shearing stress is applied by the tearing element. The tearing element may be laminated for additional strength.

The tearing element need not be adhesively united to the base sheet. The over-all coating may serve to hold it in its desired position on the sheet.

It is understood that the base sheet may be further coated on the outer surface thereof. If desired, another sheet such as paper, glassine, regenerated cellulose or any of the well known films used in packaging may be laminated to the side of base sheet opposite to the side on which the tearing'element is disposed. Furthermore, the base sheet may be printed with various indicia including directions to utilize the tearing element to attain easy access to the contents of the package.

The present :invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof. It is desired that the present specific embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the aforegoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cheese package comprising a mass of cheese of given dimensions tightly enveloped by a wrapper, said wrapper comprising a base sheet, a coating adhered to the surface of the base sheet adjacent to the cheese, and a tearing element embedded in the coating, said tearing element being formed at an edge of the base sheet to provide a grasping tab, said coating being of a thickness at least equal to the thickness of the tearing element whereby a uniform, unbroken surface of the wrapper is in continuous contact with the mass.

2. A cheese package comprising a mass of cheese of given dimensions tightly enveloped by a wrapper, said wrapper comprising a base sheet of regenerated cellulose, a coating on the base sheet adjacent to the cheese, and a tearing element embedded in the coating, said tearing element being formed at an edge of the base sheet to provide a grasping tab, said coating being of a thickness at least equal to the thickness of the tearing element whereby a uniform, unbroken coated surface of the wrapper is in continuous contact with the mass. 4

3. A cheese package comprising a block. of

cheese enveloped by a wrapper, said wrapper comprising a base sheet of regenerated cellulose, a

wax containing coating on the surface of the base sheet adjacent to the cheese, and a relatively narrow regenerated cellulose tape embedded in the coating and encircling the block, said tape being formed at an edge of the base sheet to provide a grasping tab, said coating being of a thickness exceeding the thickness of the tape whereby a uniform, unbroken coated surface of the wrapper is in continuous contact with the block, said wrapper being heat sealed about the block by means of the coating.

4. A wrapping material comprising a base sheet, a tear tape disposed across the base sheet, and a moisture-proof heat-scalable overall coating on the surface of said base sheet and tape, the thickness of the base sheet and coating thereover being of substantially the same thickness at any point as the combined thickness of the coated tape and base sheet to thereby impart a uniform, unbroken surface to the coated side of said base sheet.

5. A wrapping material as claimed in claim 4 in which said tape is adheslvely united to the base sheet.

6. A wrapping material as claimed in claim 4 in which the basesheet and tape are regenerated cellulose.

DAVID B. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,516,455 Panza Nov. 18, 1924 2,008,361 Lindsey July 16, 1935 2,019,191 Milmoe Oct. 29, 1935 2,218,509 Goodyear Oct. 22, 1940 2,360,597 Topolski Oct. 17, 1944 2,383,728 Little Aug. 28, 1945 2,402,605 Cowen June 25, 1946 

